Cooking Tips

• Deep fried dish can be decorated with slices of lemon or sliced onions or sliced Eggs.
  
  
• While making chaats or Bhel use cornflakes as a substitute for sev or papdis. It is available everywhere and give the same crunchiness to a dish.
  
  
• Always use a clean pair of kitchen scissors to trim edges of bread. Much neater and less messy edges as compared to those trimmed with a knife.
  
  
• Spinach based gravies can be garnished or decorated with cream.
  
  
• Dals & Gravies especially light colored can be garnished with chopped corriander leaves.
  
  
• Don't use soda bicarbonate for boiling vegetables as it destroys the vitamins present.
  
  
• Add little milk while boiling potatoes to soften and to cook faster.
  
  
• Ice-cream won’t form ice crystals in the freezer if you cover the container tightly with a plastic wrap, before putting on the lid.
  
  
• If your curry or gravy becomes very salty just cut a raw potato into cubes and add it into the curry. Leave in for 15-20 minutes. Remove before serving. The potatoes absorb all the excess salt.
  
  
• Never beat idli batter too much because the air which has already incorporated during fermentation is lost and results in not-so-soft idlis.
  
  
• Add a little freshly beaten cream into curds for a creamier raita.
  
  
• To cook your dhal faster, add a drop of Castor oil or Ghee.
  
  
• Smear your hands with a little tamarind juice while collecting butter from churned cream. The butter will not stick to the hands.
  
  
• Grilling -It saves cooking time and energy & is healthier than frying , and usually involves less clean up.
  
  
• Biscuits - Keep a piece of blotting paper at the bottom of the biscuit jar.They will remain fresh for long time.
  
  
• Papads - Wrap them in a polythene sheet and store along with rice or ‘dal.They will not break or crack.
  
  
• Store raisins in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will stay fresh for much longer. Pour very hot water over them if they had harden, after that drain them immediately, and spread on a paper towel to dry.
  
  
• Hurry to make pulses like chana, Rajma etc - Just put the them in a flask full of boiling water for an hour & then they are ready for cooking.
• Measuring Pans - Sizes may vary from top & even from rim to rim,like a 10-inch pan might measure 9-3/4" or 10-1/4 ".
  
  
• Removing a cooked squash from its shell:- Use an ice cream scoop.
  
  
• Muffins - Always use an ice cream scoop to fill muffin cups with batter.
  
  
• Easy way to roll out Bhatura - Roll out each ball of dough into a small puri and cover with a damp cloth. At the time of serving roll each 'puri' into a desired size; & then fry them till done.This is the easier way to roll out the bhatura.
  
  
• No chili sauce - Grind little bit of chili pickle in the mixer for 2-3 minutes so as to obtain a smooth paste and then mix with your ordinary tomato ketchup to obtain a chili sauce.
  
  
• To avoid Fish odor - Use one teaspoon baking soda with a quart of water.
  
  
• Be Alert Of Stainless Steel Sink - When using the garbage disposal, make sure your hands are dry, and do not touch your sink when turning it on as it may lead to serious injuries due to electrocution . If hands are damp, use a dry towel to flip the disposal switch, but remember to LIFT YOUR OTHER HAND OFF OF THE SINK.
  
  
• Stale Chapatis - Just wrap them in a clean cloth and pack them in an airtight container which fits into your pressure cooker.Cook it for two whistles and serve fresh.
  
  
• To increase the quantity of curd for 'raitas' grind freshly grated coconut to a fine paste and mix with the curd.
  
  
• Overripe Tomatoes - Make them firm by dipping them in cold water,add some salt and leave overnight.
  
  
• Curd in winter - Set in a ceramic container and place it on the voltage stabilizer of your refrigerator
  
  
• Stale bread - Sprinkle a little milk over it and place it in a moderately hot oven for 15 minutes. It will regain its taste & crispness.